Here is the latest from the capitol....

Governor Walker has stated he will be signing the Budget on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in Green Bay.  This Budget will help us move out of a $3.6 billion structural deficit towards a more fiscally responsible Wisconsin.  I look forward to reviewing his final decisions on many of the line item vetoes.

If you missed my legislative column last week regarding the State Budget you can find it here or on my website here.  I was also interviewed on News-Talk KFIZ a.m. 1450’s Morning Show with Bob Hoffmaster and Bob Nelson.  To listen to the podcast click here.  I discuss numerous items:  senior care, recycling cuts, fund raids, transportation infrastructure, bail bondsmen, and concealed carry.   

Additionally, I submitted an idea on vesting for the State Budget.  The suggestion was refined by a small work group and put into the budget:  See page 4 (#8 within the document) of this link here.  Many other states have this requirement and it was a prudent and fair measure to ensure long term viability. 

The State Assembly took up Senate Bill 93 on Tuesday this week and passed it on bi-partisan support 68-27.  Wisconsin will finally be in the ranks of 48 other states and leaving Illinois as the only state without this constitutional right.  You can watch a 2 minute video of my statements on the Assembly floor here. 

Rep. Thiesfeldt reviews some processes and concerns with Judge Grimm at the County Courthouse as he gets hands on learning about the court system.

“You won’t get gun control by disarming law-abiding citizens. There’s only one way to get real gun control: Disarm the thugs and the criminals, lock them up, and if you don’t actually throw away the key, at least lose it for a long time... It’s a nasty truth, but those who seek to inflict harm are not fazed by gun controllers. I happen to know this from personal experience.”  – Ronald Reagan

In 2003 Michael McCafferty, a specialist in the Miami language, published an article that combines historical and linguistic evidence to prove that "Wisconsin's" meaning was akin to the English phrase, "river running through a red place."  Read the entire history behind the definition here. 

Historically summer recess has fewer meetings and less going on legislatively and as a result you may receive e-updates less frequently in the coming 2 months.  (I hear many individuals cheering right now, especially my staff.)  But as always, if an issue or concern comes up for you please do not hesitate to contact my office.  When you do, your call may get answered by our summer intern, Holly DeWerd, who has been a wonderful asset to the office and is continuing to learn how to better serve you.  I recently introduced her on the floor of the Assembly:  click here. 

As for actual statistics, my office has responded to 2470 constituent concerns, inquires, position statements, congratulations, and ideas since January 3, 2011.   Again, if you have an outstanding issue sent into our office we are diligently researching it.  Please touch base with me again if somehow it got caught in our spam filter or human error.